Mechanical stoker.



PATENIED JULY 14, 1903.

J, w. KINGAID. MECHANICAL sToKBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI'. 23. 1902.

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No. 733,657. PATENTED 'JULY 14. 1903.. J. W. KINGAID. MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1902.v

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stoker embodying my invention.

"iNrrno STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,657, dated Jul-y 14, 1903.

Application filed June 23, 1902. Serial No. 112,740. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN WV. KINOAID, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Covington, county of Kenton, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin MechanicalStokers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanical stokersin which fuel is fed above the grate-bars by.

a plunger reciprocating within a trough into which the fuel is fed from a hopper when the plunger is retracted and in which the plunger is advanced at varying rates of speed.

The object of myinvention is a mechanical Stoker of the aforesaid character which ,has an improved arrangement of the secondary engine for operating the feeder in the hopper and regulating the valve for varying the strokes of the plunger, in which the means for connecting the 4main valve and the means for operating it are simplied and the machine rendered more compact and the hopper capacity increased, and in which the valve for regulating the forward strokes is simplified and cheapened in construction, improved in operation, and rendered capable of more delicate adjustments. This object is attained by the means described in the specification, specically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the mechanicalstoker embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the secondary engine for operating the spiral conveyers in the hopper aud for rotating the main valve. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional View of the Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken upon linee'z of Fig. 4. Fig. 6, Fig.v 7, and Fig. S are similar views taken upon line o o, w w, and x, respectively, of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a detail longitudinal central sectional view of the main valve and its casing upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the main valve. Fig. ll is a transverse sectional view of the main valve, taken upon line s s of Fig. 9, showing the position ofthe valve when the plunger is advancing. Fig. l2 is a similar View of the valve in the position it occupies when the plunger is being retracted. Fig.

13 is a transverse sectional View taken upon line y y of Fig. 9, showing the same position of the valve as shown in Fig. ll. Fig. 14 is a similar View showing the Same position of the valve as shown in Fig. l2.

Referring to the parts, fuel placed in hopper A is fed toward the front of the hopper by spiral conveyers whose shafts a and d' are journaled in the ends of the hopper. From the front of the hopper the fuel falls into the channel or trough A when the plunger B is retracted, the openingin the bottom of the hopper being closed when the plunger is advanced by an apron b, attached to the plunger. The plunger is actuated by a piston C, reciprocating within a cylinder c.

I The admission of steam to and from cylinderc is regulated bya cylindrical valve D within casing d. Valve Dv has a horizontal valve-stem d projecting forward and having a ratchet-wheel cl2 upon its forward end and Y an arm (Z3 swiveled upon the end of the valvestem and coupled at itsvother end to an arm e, which projects rearward from the pistonrod e' of the secondary engine E. Arm d3 carries a pawl d4,which engages ratchet-wheel cl2 and imparts an intermittent rotation to the same as the piston-rod e' reciprocates. Secondary engine E is placed beneath the channel a. Steam is admitted to the engine E by means of tappet and 'floating valves e2 and e3, steam being admitted to the tappetvalve by a channel el, leading down from the main steam-channel c. The tappeti-valve stem e5 is reciprocated by arm e, secured upon the end of the piston-rod e of the secondary engine.

Upon the ends of the piston-rod e arms d2 and a3 are swiveled, the opposite ends of the arms being journaled upon the short shafts a* and a5, journaled upon the sides of hopper A, said shafts carrying gear-wheels a and a7, which engage gear-wheels as and a9 upon the ends of conveyer-shafts a and a'. vArms d2 and a3 carry pawls al@ and a, which rotate gear-wheels a6 and a7 when the piston-rod e reciprocates, and thereby impart an intermittent rotation to the conveyers to carry the fuel to the forward end of the hopper.

It is seen that the valve for controlling the admission of steam to the plunger and the conveyers for vcarrying fuel in front of the IOC plunger are regulated by the same engine, so that the amount of fuel fed to the plunger is increased in the same ratio as the reciprocation of the plunger, so that the rate at which the plunger reciprocates and the rate at which fuel is fed in front of it are kept in proportion to each other. Moreover, by placing the secondary engine beneath the trough l the space that can be occupied by the hopper is increased, thereby enlarging the capacity of the hopper, and, moreover, the means of coupling the main valve and the secondary engine is rendered direct and simple.

Main valve D consists of acylindrical shell closed at both ends and having an internal transverse wall (Z5, which divides the valve into a live-steam chamber CZ and an exhaustchamber CZT. Live steam chamber CZ6 has three ports d8, (Z2, and d10, which are situated at one hundred and twenty degrees apart and out of vertical alinement with each other. Valve-casing (Z has in its top three ports CZ11, (Z12, and (Z13, each of which has its own indi# vidual channel (.11, CZ15, and CZ16 leading up into a common channel CZ, which communicates with cylinderc at its rear end. Each of channels (114, CZ1", and CZ111 is crossed by tapered bores (Z13 of somewhat larger diameter than the channel and in which are seated tapered plugs CZ19, which have screw-threaded stems CZ20extending outthrough stuffing-boxes CZ21 and having square ends to receive keys. By means of these plugs CZ19 the size of the channels CZ11, CZ15, and CZ11 can be regulated to a nicety, so that the rapidity of the forward strokes of the plunger can be varied so as to make al change of a few inches in the distance which the plunger will throw the coal.

Upon the exhaust end of the valve the valve-casing has two portsfand f in longitudinal alinement with ports CZ11, CZ12, and (Z13 and a third port f2 upon the side of the valvecasing and situated at a distance of ninety degrees from port f and in the same transverse plane therewith. Portfcommunicates with the main exhaust-channel F, which extends longitudinally forward centrally beneath the main cylinder c and the trough Ct' to a point leading into the tire-box. From the port f2 an exhaust-channel]c3 leads to the forward end of cylinder c. Valve D upon the exhaust side has three ports CZ22, CZ23, and CZ211 to register with ports f and f2 in the casing and ports CZ25, (Z211, and CZ2T to register with port f in the casing. Ports CZ25, (Z211, and CZ27 are made of a widthequal to twice that of ports CZ22, cZ23, and (Z2A1 and are placed with their front edges in longitudinal alinement with the ports CZ25, CZ26, and CZ2T, so that when one of the series of ports (Z22, CZ23, and CZ21 reaches port f at the same time one of the series of ports CZ25, CZ21, and @Z27 reaches port f in the casing and that when the said port of the series (Z22, (Z22, and C121 has kpassed f another one of the ports of said series has reached f2, so that immediately after the rear end of the cylinder has exhausted out through port f into port f port f is closed, leaving port f open, and portf2 is opened to allow the fol'- ward end of the cylinder to exhaust therethrough. Ports (Z22, d23, and (Z21are placed out of longitudinal alinement with ports (Z5, (Z9, and (Z111, so that while steam is being admitted to the rear end of the cylinder to advance the plunger port f is closed and that after each forward stroke of the plunger one of the ports (Z22, (Z23, and (Z21 registers with port f to put the rear end of the cylinder c in communication with the exhaust-chamber.

Cylinder c has a reduced port c2 at its forward end which communicates with the livesteam channel c. After the plunger has been advanced and port]C3 is closed this steam returns the piston to the rear end of its cylinder c. When port f3 is opened, the steam in the forward end of the cylinder exhausts out through channelf3 until the piston passes the point where the said channel enters the cylinder. The steam then remaining in the cylinder acts as a cushion to the piston to protect the front head of the cylinder, the degree of cushioning being regulated by an adjustable plugf5 in channel f3. Port c2 has a chokeplug c3 to regulate the size of the opening leading into the cylinder c, so that the rapidity with which the piston C is returned to the rear end of its cylinder may be regulated. Main cylindrical valve D has a rearwardlyprojecting stem CZ28, which extends through the rear head of valve -casing CZ and which has a series of radial holes (Z211, through which live steam from channel c' enters the Valve. It is thus seen that the stem upon the interior of valve D is balanced and that the pressure of the atmosphere at the end of the valve balances that upon the other end of the valve, so that the valve is a perfectly-balanced valve.

Vhat I claim isl. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a reciprocating piston for actuating a plunger for throwing fuel upon the fire, the plunger, a channel for conveying steam back of the piston to actuate it, a series of channels leading into said channel, a cylindrical valve for controlling the admission of steam to each of the series of channels, and means for rotating the valve, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a reciprocating piston for actuating the plunger for feeding fuel to a iire, the plunger, a channel for conveying steam to the piston to actuate it, a series of channels leading into the said channel, a cylindrical valve having ports to register with said series of channels to admit steam thereto, and means for rotating the valve, substantially as shown and described.

3. A valve for controlling the admission of steam to an engine for actuating a feeder consisting of a valve-casing, having a series of IOO channels in alinement with one another leading into the valve-casing, a cylindrical valve within the casing having a series of ports to register with the channels, and means for rotating the cylindrical valve, substantially as shown and described.

et. A valve for controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to the forward and rear ends of a cylinder to reciprocate a piston therein, consisting of a valve-casing, a valve therein consisting of a cylindrical shell, divided by a transverse partition Vinto an exhaust and a live steam chamber, channels leading from the exhaust side into the front and rear ends of the cylinder, channels leading from the live-steam side of the valve into the cylinder, ports in the shell upon the live-steam side and upon the exhaust side to register with the channels, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a mechanical stoker a cylinder, a reciprocating piston therein for actuating a plunger for feeding fuel into a furnace, the plunger, a valve-casing, a valve therein consistingof a cylindrical shell, divided by a partition into a live-steam and an exhaust chamber, channels leading from the exhaust side to both ends ot' the cylinder, channels leading from the live-steam side into the cylinder to convey steam to the cylinder to actuate the piston, ports in the cylindrical shell to register with the live-steam channels and with the exhaust-channels, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a mechanical stoker, a reciprocating plunger for conveying fuel to the fire, a piston reciprocating within a cylinder to actuate lthe plunger, the cylinder, channels leading into one end of the cylinder to actuate the piston, tapered bores crossing the channels, tapered plug-valves seated in the bores, and means for regulating the position of the plugs in the bores to Vary the size of the channels to regulate the amount of steam admitted to the cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a mechanical stoker a piston-cylinder, a piston reciprocating within the cylinder, channels leading into one end of the cylinder for the admission and the exhaust of steam therefrom, an exhaust-channel leading into the other end of the cylinder at a distance therefrom greater than the thickness of the piston, a valve for controlling the passage of steam to and from the channels, a reduced channel leading into the said end of the cylinder placing it in continuous communication with the live steam, whereby the steam acts as a cushion for the stroke of the piston and when the exhaust-port is covered returns the piston to the rear end of the cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a hopper, conveyers in the hopper for feeding the fuel toward its forward end, a channel beneath the hopper leading into afnrnace,

a plunger reciprocating in the channel, a cylinder beneath the hopper, a piston within the cylinder for reciprocating the plunger, a valve beneath the cylinder for cout-rolling the admission of steam to the cylinder, a secondary engine beneath the channel, and means for coupling the secondary engine to the conveyers and to the valve, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a piston-cylinder, a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, a channel leading into a furnace, a plunger in the channel, a hopper above the cylinder and the channel, conveyers in the hopper for feeding fuel into the channel, a cylindrical valve beneath the cylinder for regulating the admission of steam thereto for advancing the plunger, and means for coupling the engine and the conveyers and the engine and the cylindrical valve, substantially as shown and described.

l0. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a piston-cylinder, a piston reciprocating within the cylinder, a channel leading from the cylinder into a furnace, a plunger reciprocating within the channel, means for feeding fuel in front of the plunger, a valve-casing, a valve within the casingconsisting of a cylindrical shell having an exhaust-chamber in one end of it and a live-steam chamber in the other end, a series of ports in the livesteam end of the valve, and a series of ports in the exhaust-steam end of the valve, channels leading from the live-steam end of the valve into the rear end of the cylinder and registering with the ports in the live-steam end of the cylinder, a channel placing the rear end of the cylinder in communication with the exhaust side of the valve, a channel leading from the front end of the cylinder at a distance therefrom greater than the thickness of the piston into the exhaust end of the valve, and a reduced channel leading from the live-steam channel-to the forward end of the piston-cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

ll. In a mechanical Stoker a piston-cylinder, a piston reciprocating within the cylinder, channels leading into one end of the cylinder for the admission and the exhaust of steam therefrom, an exhaust-channel leading into the other end of the cylinder ata distance therefrom greater than the thickness of the piston, a valve forcontrolling the passage of steam to and from the channels, a reduced channel leading into the said end of the cylinder placing it in continuous communication with the live steam, whereby the steam ac ts as a cushion for the stroke of the piston and when the exhaust-port is covered returns the piston to the rear end of the cylinder, and a plug for regulating the size of the reduced channel, substantially as shown and described.

l2. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a piston-cylinder, a piston within the cylinfor admitting and exhausting steam from the for regulating the size of the exhanst-cha1i rear end of the cylinder to advance the pisnel, substantially as shown and described. t0n, a reduced channel leadinginto the front JOHN XV. KINCAID. end of the cylinder to admit steam thereto, an exhaust-channel leading into the frontend of the cylinder atadistance therefrom greater' der, a pinnger actuated by the piston, means l than the thickness of the piston and a ping Witnesses:

W. F. MURRAY, O. A. LEHMKUHL. 

